Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork

What is Classic Pulled Pork?

A classic pulled pork recipe consists of any pork meat smoked low and slow until the meat is tender enough to easily shred. Usually mixed with BBQ sauce, this recipe is an American BBQ classic. When done right, the tender and flavorful meat just melts in your mouth.

Traditionally pulled pork is made from the pork shoulder or pork butt. Both are the same cut of meat. The word “butt” comes from the colonial era when butchers would pack less desirable cuts of pork, like the shoulder, into large barrels called “butts” for storage.

A bone-in pork shoulder is the ideal cut of pork to make pulled pork because of it’s shape. An even cube, that cooks evenly on the grill for hours. Stay away from the boneless ones.

The pork shoulder is a very large cut of meat ranging anywhere from 7-10 lbs. It is also a cheaper cut because of all the fattiness making it very economical since 1 shoulder can feed 10+ people and makes meals for days.

Making pulled pork for dinner or a friendly gathering is not a last minute decision. Because of it’s size, you should estimate 8-10 hours before it’s ready to eat. So PLAN AHEAD!

Ingredient List for Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork.

• Pork Shoulder: depending on how many people you are cooking for, try to stay under 10 lbs. Make sure to get a bone-in pork shoulder.
• Seasoning: I used a blend of an all purpose seasoning and a sweet BBQ rub that compliment pork.
• Mustard: use yellow mustard for the seasoning binder.
• Dr. Pepper: I used to soda to keep the pork shoulder moist and in the BBQ sauce.

Step 1: Get the pork ready and on the grill.

Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork is definitely not a last minute dinner choice.  It is a process that needs time and patience for the meat to cook through nice and slowly while containing the tenderness and flavorfulness of the pork as well as the seasoning that’s applied throughout.

For beginners, I recommend going with a bone-in pork shoulder.  It’s much more forgiving and the bone adds additional flavors to the meat.

I really wanted to infuse the pork with the Dr. Pepper flavor.  Instead of brining a big chunk of meat, I injected the soda directly into the shoulder.  Use about 1/2 can of Dr. Pepper and make injections in multiple areas.

Next, score the fat cap in a checkered pattern. This will allow the seasoning to penetrate deeper into the meat locking in those amazing BBQ flavors.  Coat the entire bone in pork shoulder with yellow mustard which will work as a binder. For the seasoning I used GWD Dad’s All Purpose Rub. It’s the perfect blend of savory and peppery flavors that bring out the sweet and savory notes in pork.

Pat the seasoning down vs. rubbing to avoid any of the spice from falling off. Don’t be shy with the seasoning.  The shoulder is a large chunk of meat, so make sure to coat it heavily on all sides. Some of the spice will burn off during the cooking process.

While you wait for the smoker to reach 250 degrees, leave the seasoned pork shoulder in room temperature for about 30 minutes and allow it to sweat which opens up the meat to absorb all those wonderful spices.

2 Step Method for Making the BEST Classic Pulled Pork

In order to make the best Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork, the cooking process requires most of the day to achieve tender, juicy and flavorful meat. The first step will give us that delicious smokey flavor and the next will get it fall apart tender.

The pork shoulder has a lot of fat and connective tissue that needs to render down. This takes time. Patience is key here.

Step 1 – Smoke low and slow

Preheat your grill or smoker to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and set it for indirect heat. I used my Weber Searwood Pellet Grill for this cook.

Place the seasoned pork shoulder directly on the grates and let if smoke away.

For the first 4 hours, leave the pork should on the grill. Do NOT peek. Let the grill do its magic. After that, you should start to check the bark and see if is not drying out. If so, pour a little bit of apple cider vinegar into a spray bottle and spritz the pork every hour. This helps keep the meat moist and helps prevent the bark from burning.  It does not impact the flavor of the meat.

Depending on the size of the shoulder, you should estimate 1.5 hours/lb. Total cooking process will last 7-9 hours. By this time, the internal temperature on the pork will read around 170-175 degrees.

Step 2 – Wrapping the Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork.

The next step in our cooking process will get the meat so tender, that it falls off the bone.  In order to keep the moisture and prevent the protein from drying out, you need to wrap it for the final cook.

Once the smoked pork shoulder reaches 170 degrees, transfer it from the grill into an aluminum pan or on a large foil sheet.

Add brown sugar, Dr. Pepper, cubed butter and Dad’s Sweet BBQ rub for the sweetness.

Seal the entire pan with a large sheet of foil and wrap it tightly. The wrap will help keep all the moisture inside the pan and allow the butter and sugar to penetrate through the meat and infuse it with all those amazing classic BBQ  flavors.

Increase the grill temperature to 275 degrees and place the pork back on the smoker for another 2-3 hours or until the internal temperature reaches around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Open the wrap and test the tenderness of the meat. Insert your thermometer or fork in the meat and if it goes in the pork easily, like a hot knife through butter, then it’s done. If not, wrap it back up and continue cooking. Check again in 30 minutes. Continue this process until the meat is fork tender. Tenderness is key. This will help make the pork shreddable.

The final temperature on a Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork can range anywhere from 200 to 205 degrees, so be patient. This is where a lot of the mistakes are made. Pork is removed too soon and the meat ends up tough.

Remember to rest classic pulled pork when done.

When the pork is fork tender, it’s time for the rest. Move the wrapped pork into an insulated cooler or a turned off oven and leave it to rest for 1 hour. Remember, this is a very large piece of meat that has been on the grill for 7-9 hours. It needs time to allow all the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.

When it’s ready, start by removing the bone. If perfectly cooked, the bone should come out clean and without any resistance.

Keep the smoked classic pulled pork in the aluminum pan and using heat resistant gloves, start shredding the meat. I like using glove liners under my nitrile gloves for heat protection. Mix the pork with the rendered juices adding flavor to the dish.

Remove the bone and shred the meat, mixing it in with all the rendered juices. 

If you like adding soda to your recipes, you must try my cherry coke brined bbq chicken recipe. Sweet and savory, it’s the perfect summer grilling meal.

How to make the perfect Dr. Pepper sauce.

Homemade BBQ sauce is the way to go.  You can always adapt the tanginess, spiciness or sweetness to your liking. This Dr. Pepper pulled pork sauce had a little bit of all the above.  It might be my new favorite BBQ sauce.  You can definitely taste the various flavor profiles of a Dr. Pepper but it’s not overpowering for those that are not fans of the drink.  It’s the perfect flavor compliment to the savory pork.  Ingredients are simple and sauce is easy to make.

In a sauce pan, add 1 can of Dr. Pepper soda, ketchup, molasses, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and Dad’s All Purpose  seasoning.  Mix it all together simmering over low heat until the sauce thickens.

To make the best tasting pulled pork sandwich, scoop a handful off the delicious shredded Dr. Pepper pulled pork onto a brioche bun.  Top with the Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Check out my YouTube video for step by step tutorial.

Frequently Asked Questions:

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